The UP Asian Center will host the online roundtable, "Reimagining Asian Studies: Perspectives from Central Asia" on 22 October 2025, 2 PM, PHT (GMT+8), online via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public, but signing in to a (free) Zoom account is required.
ABOUT THE ROUNDTABLE
Amid ongoing efforts to globalize and decolonize area studies, Asian Studies as a field must reconsider how Asia is defined, narrated, and studied, from within the region itself. Central Asia, historically positioned as both a frontier and a bridge across empires and civilizations, remains an understudied yet intellectually rich site for this rethinking. While the region has long been central to Silk Road histories and Cold War geopolitics, its contributions to contemporary Asian scholarship, particularly in Asian Studies programs, have received limited attention in Southeast Asian academic circles.
This webinar aims to bridge that gap by bringing together scholars from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, offering insights into how Asian Studies is evolving within their national and institutional contexts. In doing so, the UP Asian Center hopes to open new avenues for academic exchange, curricular development, and mutual reflection across regional borders.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
DR. ZHANAR TEMIRBEKOVA
Rector, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University
Dr. Zhanar Temirbekova is the Rector of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University in Turkistan, Kazakhstan. She graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Hacettepe University, Turkey, with a Master's degree in Management. Following this, she pursued Post-Graduate Studies at Kazakh National University, named after Al-Farabi, where she defended her thesis and received a PhD in Economics. Zhanar has worked in various international organizations, including TURKSOY, and previously served in the Office of the Board of Trustees in Ankara. In addition to teaching at prominent universities in Almaty, including KIMEP and KBTU, she served as the rector of Eurasian Technological University and advisor to the president of Almaty University of Management. Additionally, she was awarded the N. Nazarbayev Foundation Prize in Science and Technology (2012) and received the Ministry of Education and Science's grant for "The Best University Professor" (2013). She is a member of the Scientific Council for the Nursultan Nazarbayev Foundation.
DR. SHARIFA GIRITLIOGLU
Senior Lecturer, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University
Dr. Sharifa Giritlioglu earned her Ph.D. and master’s degrees in International Relations from Gazi University (Turkiye). She also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University. Since 2018, she has served as a senior lecturer at the same university. Her research interests include Eurasian Studies, Turkic World Studies, foreign policy (with a focus on Chinese foreign policy and the Belt and Road Initiative), energy security, global politics, international cooperation, and intercultural communication. Over the years, she has undertaken various study visits, published research, and presented her work at numerous international forums.
DR. GALYM ZHUSSIPBEK
Independent Researcher
Dr. Galym Zhussipbek is an independent researcher based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He received his Ph.D. from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science, with a dissertation on critical theories/Neo-Gramscian approach, European and Eurasian security, and Orientalism. His research interests include critical theories, theoretical foundations of human rights, inclusive development, children’s rights, and a decolonial approach in Central Asia.
DR. FARKHOD ABDURAKHMONOV
Associate Professor, Tashkent State University of Economics, Uzbekistan
Dr. Farkhod Abdurakhmonov is an Associate Professor at the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations at the Tashkent State University of Economics in Uzbekistan. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Social Research and Cultural Studies from the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. He also studied International Management as an Erasmus+ Scholar at the Université de Bordeaux in France and graduated with an MA in Economics from the University of Hyderabad in India. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of education, banking, and governance in Uzbekistan.
LOIQJON MIROV
Statistician and Labour Market Analyst
Loiqjon Mirov is a seasoned statistician and labor market analyst from Tajikistan with more than fifteen years of professional experience in social statistics, labor economics, and survey research. He holds a Specialist degree in Information Systems and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics focused on NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) youth. Mirov has led the design and implementation of large-scale labour market studies, including Labour Force Surveys, Establishment Skills Surveys, tracer studies, and youth transition assessments. He has been commissioned by UNICEF, USAID, IOM, the European Union, and the Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment of Tajikistan. He is the lead statistician behind Kasbiman.pro, Tajikistan’s first AI-powered career guidance portal, which provides digital career assessments to thousands of schoolchildren nationwide. He is an active member of WAPOR, the International Sociological Association, and the UNLEASH innovation network. Alongside his applied research, Mirov has taught courses in statistics and machine learning at the Technological University of Tajikistan and TajRupt’s AI Lab. His expertise bridges quantitative analysis with policy design, aiming to translate data into actionable insights for social and educational reforms in Tajikistan and Central Asia.